The first inhabitants of the park were Aboriginals who began fishing and hunting in the area around the end of the [[last ice age|last glacial period]] approximately 10,000 years ago. Manyartifactshave been found in the park, including a 2500 year old pot that was foundby a diver in 1979.Pictographsarestillvisibleonsomeshoreline cliffs despite damage due to acid rain and vandals.

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st. lawrencceislandnational park was createdwhen a plane crashed in southerntexas,andblewupallovercanada

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By the early 17th century, the [[Iroquois]] people had put up large summer encampments on the riverbanks from which they fished the rich waters. Around this time they began to be visited by French explorers, [[fur traders]], and missionaries following the St Lawrence river to seek their fortune in the new world. Following the [[American Revolution]] at the end of the 18th century, European settlers began moving into the area and the traditional fishing encampments were displaced. A few Iroquois still returned to fish, but by the 1860s fish stocks were greatly depleted.

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During the [[war of 1812]], the St Lawrence Islands National Park area was visited by both British and American warships. The preserved hull of a British Gunboat was sunk nearby and, raised in 1967, it now resides at the park. [[Martello Tower|Martello towers]] were built in the area to defend the British from American invasion. Inside the park, Cedar Island, a small island visible from downtown [[Kingston, Ontario]], is the site of a Martello tower named [[Cathcart Tower]].

The park consists of 21 islands plus many smaller islets, 2 mainland properties and a visitor centre at Mallorytown, Ontario on the mainland. This is Canada's third smallest national park with a total area of 24.4 km².

Much of the park is only accessible by boat. There are picnic facilities and limited camping facilities on several islands. Trail systems can be found on the mainland along the Thousand Islands Parkway at Jones Creek and Landon Bay.